Avelino Alvarez-Ordóñez

• Lecturer at University of Leon

The European Commission requested an estimation of the BSE risk (C‐, L‐ and H‐BSE) from gelatine and collagen derived from ovine, caprine or bovine bones, and produced in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, or Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 and its implementing Regulation (EU) No 142/2011. A quantitative risk assessment was developed to esti...

Two alternative methods for producing compost in a tunnel, from certain category (Cat.) 3 animal by‐products (ABP) and other non‐ABP material, were assessed. The first method proposed a minimum temperature of 55°C for 72 h and the second 60°C for 48 h, both with a maximum particle size of 200 mm. The assessment of the Panel on Biological Hazards (B...

The contamination of water used in post‐harvest handling and processing operations of fresh and frozen fruit, vegetables and herbs (ffFVHs) is a global concern. The most relevant microbial hazards associated with this water are: Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., human pathogenic Escherichia coli and enteric viruses, which have been linked to...

An assessment was conducted on the level of inactivation of relevant pathogens that could be present in processed animal protein of porcine origin intended to feed poultry and aquaculture animals when methods 2 to 5 and method 7, as detailed in Regulation (EU) No 142/2011, are applied. Five approved scenarios were selected for method 7. Salmonella...

Abstract An alternative method for the production of biodiesel from processed fats derived from Category 1, 2 and 3 animal by‐products was assessed. The method is based on a pre‐cleaning process, acidic esterification/transesterification of tallow using 1.5% methanesulfonic acid w/w; 140°C; 5.5 bar absolute pressure (bara); 4 h, followed by fractio...

A multi-country outbreak ofListeria monocytogenesST6 linked to blanched frozen vegetables (bfV)took place in the EU (2015–2018). Evidence of food-borne outbreaks shows thatL. monocytogenesisthe most relevant pathogen associated with bfV. The probability of illness per serving of uncooked bfV,for the elderly (65–74 years old) population, is up to 3,...

The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance along the food chain can be influenced by the different antimicrobial strategies used from farm to fork. This study evidences that two novel, not yet widely used, nonthermal microbial decontamination techniques, UV light and nonthermal atmospheric plasma, can select variants with increased resistanc...

The study shows the potential of functional metagenomics analyses to uncover the diversity of functions in microbial communities prevailing in dairy products and their processing environments, evidencing that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) dominate the cheese microbiota, whereas Gram-negative microorganisms of animal or soil origin dominate the microbi...

Abstract Qualified presumption of safety (QPS) was developed to provide a generic safety evaluation for biological agents to support EFSA's Scientific Panels. The taxonomic identity, body of knowledge, safety concerns and antimicrobial resistance are assessed. Safety concerns identified for a taxonomic unit (TU) are where possible to be confirmed a...

Abstract The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) was developed to provide a safety pre‐assessment within EFSA for microorganisms. Strains belonging to QPS taxonomic units (TUs) still require an assessment based on a specific data package, but QPS status facilitates fast track evaluation. QPS TUs are unambiguously defined biological agents assesse...

Abstract The provisional molecular approach, proposed by EFSA in 2013, for the pathogenicity assessment of Shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli (STEC) has been reviewed. Analysis of the confirmed reported human STEC infections in the EU/EEA (2012–2017) demonstrated that isolates positive for any of the reported Shiga toxin (Stx) subtypes (and enc...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the major challenges the world faces. The emergence and spread of AMR has been attributed to the misuse or indiscriminate use of antibiotics as therapeutic or prophylactic drugs in human and animal health care or in veterinary husbandry. In addition, there is a growing concern over the possibility of AMR tra...

Abstract This Opinion considers the application of whole genome sequencing (WGS) and metagenomics for outbreak investigation, source attribution and risk assessment of food‐borne pathogens. WGS offers the highest level of bacterial strain discrimination for food‐borne outbreak investigation and source‐attribution as well as potential for more preci...

The efficacy of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (CAPP) for the inactivation of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on tofu was evaluated. The potential of using Plasma Activated Water (PAW) as an immersion solution for controlling microbial growth in...

Abstract The European Commission asked EFSA for a Scientific Opinion: to revise the state of knowledge about the differences between the chronic wasting disease (CWD) strains found in North America (NA) and Europe and within Europe; to review new scientific evidence on the zoonotic potential of CWD and to provide recommendations to address the pote...

To tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is of outmost importance for the general population to understand the severity and the relevance of different routes of transmission. Respondents of different age groups, educational and occupational backgrounds, area of living, diet and household composition participated in an online survey with questions c...

One of the main problems in the food industry is the formation of biofilms on food contact surfaces. These bacterial communities show high resistance against the commonly used disinfectants, which makes them difficult to eradicate causing economic losses and threatening the quality of the products and the health of consumers. Several studies have r...

Abstract The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) procedure was developed to provide a harmonised generic pre‐evaluation to support safety risk assessments of biological agents performed by EFSA's Scientific Panels. The taxonomic identity, body of knowledge, safety concerns and antimicrobial resistance were assessed. Safety concerns identified for...

Twitter is one of the most popular social media networks that, in recent years, has been increasingly used by researchers as a platform to share science and discuss ongoing work. Despite its popularity, Twitter is not commonly used as a medium to teach science. Here, we summarize the results of #EUROmicroMOOC: the first worldwide Microbiology Massi...

Non-thermal Atmospheric Plasma (NTAP) is a cutting-edge technology which has gained much attention during the last decade in the food-processing sector as a promising technology for food preservation and maintenance of food safety, with minimal impact on the quality attributes of foods, thanks to its effectiveness in microbial inactivation, includi...

This review examines the impact of microbial communities colonizing food processing environments in the form of biofilms on food safety and food quality. The focus is both on biofilms formed by pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms and on those formed by harmless or beneficial microbes, which are of particular relevance in the processing of fermen...

An increase in confirmed human salmonellosis cases in the EU after 2014 triggered investigation of contributory factors and control options in poultry production. Reconsideration of the five current target serovars for breeding hens showed that there is justification for retaining Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Typhimurium (including monophasic...

Abstract The qualified presumption of safety (QPS) procedure was developed to provide a harmonised generic pre‐evaluation to support safety risk assessments of biological agents performed by EFSA's Scientific Panels. The taxonomic identity, body of knowledge, safety concerns and antimicrobial resistance were assessed. Safety concerns identified for...

Parasites are important food-borne pathogens. Their complex lifecycles, varied transmission routes, and prolonged periods between infection and symptoms mean that the public health burden and relative importance of different transmission routes are often difficult to assess. Furthermore, there are challenges in detection and diagnostics, and variat...

In 2017, EFSA published a ‘simplified’ food safety management system (FSMS) for certain small retail establishments (butcher, grocer, baker, fish and ice cream shop) based on the application of prerequisite programme (PRP) criteria. The aim of this opinion was to develop similar FSMSs for other small retail enterprises including retail distribution...

The aim of this study was to better understand the molecular epidemiology of Campylobacter coli isolated from multiple sources in Belgium, by studying the genotypic diversity and antimicrobial resistance phenotypes and resistance mechanisms of 59 C. coli isolates. Isolates from broiler carcasses and human cases were genotyped using multilocus seque...

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that causes listeriosis, a relatively rare, but potentially fatal, disease, with a mortality rate of 20–30%. In general, European Regulations require the absence of L. monocytogenes in five samples of 25 g before the food has left the producer, but if the food has been demonstrated not to support the g...

The effectiveness of UV-C and Non-Thermal Atmospheric Plasma (NTAP) treatments, applied individually or in combination, for the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria innocua, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Aeromonas hydrophila and Plesiomo...

Farms and food industries rely to a large extent on the use of biocides as disinfectants and other antimicrobial agents and preservatives with antimicrobial properties in order to provide food of high microbiological quality and safe for consumers. However, in the last decades it has become apparent that long-term sub-lethal exposure to these antim...

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that causes listeriosis, a relatively rare gastrointestinal disease with a high mortality rate. As L. monocytogenes is ubiquitous in the environment, control of the organism in food processing environments is necessary to prevent cross‐contamination of the food from the environment. In this study, the...

Abstract Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a major challenge for Public Health and the scientific community, and requires immediate and drastic solutions. Acquired resistance to certain antimicrobials is already widespread to such an extent that their efficacy in the treatment of certain life‐threatening infections is already compromised. T...

Our investigation focused on foodborne outbreaks related to meat and meat products, published in peer-reviewed journals in the period 1980-2015. Most of the outbreaks, investigated in this study, were caused by Escherichia coli and Salmonella, causing 33 and 21 outbreaks, respectively, mostly in Europe and the United States. In the E. coli outbreak...

The authors wish to make the following changes to their paper [1]. Due to an undetected mistake in the references management, certain errors appeared in the reference list and a reference was duplicated in Table 1[...]

EFSA received an application from the Dutch Competent Authority, under Article 20 of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 and Regulation (EU) No 142/2011, for the evaluation of an alternative method for treatment of Category 3 animal by-products (ABP). It consists of the hydrolysis of the material to short-carbon chains, resulting in medium-chain fatty aci...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance is a critical step within risk assessment schemes, as it is the basis for informing global strategies, monitoring the effectiveness of public health interventions, and detecting new trends and emerging threats linked to food. Surveillance of AMR is currently based on the isolation of indicator microorgani...

Allelic variation within CmeR and the cmeR-cmeA intervening sequence. For the erythromycin-resistant isolates, the predicted CmeR protein sequences and the RAIVS (cmeR-cmeA intervening sequence) nucleotide sequences were determined. Relative to the erythromycin-sensitive C. jejuni strain NCTC 11168, four CmeR and three RAIVS alleles were identified...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the major challenges the world is nowadays facing. Indeed, the acquired resistance to some antimicrobials is already widespread to such an extent that their value for the treatment of certain life-threatening infections is already compromised. Emergence and spread of AMR has been usually attributed to the mi...

This investigation was undertaken to study the inactivation of Enterococcus faecium ATCC 49624 by pulsed electric fields (PEF) treatments after exposure to sublethal acid and cold stresses. Cells were grown in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) buffered to pH 7.4 (non-acid-adapted cells) and BHI acidified to pH 5.4 with acetic, ascorbic, citric, lactic, ma...

A new alternative method for the production of biodiesel from rendered fat of all categories of animal by-products was assessed. The process was compared to the approved biodiesel production process described in Chapter IV Section 2 D of Annex IV of Commission Regulation (EU) 142/2011. Tallow derived from Category 1 material is treated according to...

This study was aimed at studying the influence of gas composition (air and nitrogen) at different flow rates (5, 10 and 15Lm⁻¹) and stress adaptation (growth under a wide range of temperatures [10-45°C] and acid conditions [up to pH4.5, using different organic acids] or short-term exposure to acid, cold or heat stress shocks) on the inactivation by...

Background The objectives of this study were to characterize the diversity and magnitude of antimicrobial resistance among Staphylococcus species recovered from imported beef meat sold in the Egyptian market and the potential mechanisms underlying the antimicrobial resistance phenotypes including harboring of resistance genes (mecA, cfr, gyrA, gyrB...

The problem of assessing the occurrence of the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes in the food chain, and therefore the risk of exposure of the human population, is often challenging because of the limited scope of some studies. In this study the occurrence of L. monocytogenes in food from four major food groups, dairy products, meats, seafo...

Bacteria are constantly faced to stress situations in their ecological niches, the food and the host gastrointestinal tract. The capacity to detect and respond to surrounding changes is crucial for bacterial pathogens to survive or grow in changing environments. To this purpose, cells have evolved various sophisticated networks designed to protect...

Phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data from 12 strains of Escherichia coli were collected, including carbon source utilisation profiles, ribotypes, sequencing data of the 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed region (ITS) and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic profiles. The objectives were to compare several identification systems...

[début du texte ] Materials and equipment in food processing industries are colonized by surface-associated microbial communities called biofilms. In these biostructures microorganisms are embedded in a complex organic matrix composed essentially of polysaccharides, nucleic acids, and proteins. This organic shield contributes to the mechanical biof...

Biofilms are microbial communities characterized by their adhesion to solid surfaces and the production of a matrix of exopolymeric substances, consisting of polysaccharides, proteins, DNA and lipids, which surround the microorganisms lending structural integrity and a unique biochemical profile to the biofilm. Biofilm formation enhances the abilit...

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Non-Thermal Atmospheric Plasma (NTAP) treatments against Listeria. Firstly, the impact of gas composition and flow rate on L. monocytogenes and L. innocua (used as a surrogate) inactivation by NTAP was monitored. Secondly, the influence of stress adaptation (growth under suboptimal conditions, using a wide...

An alternative method for detection of Salmonella spp. in animal feed, based on the use of loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) in conjunction with a standard culturing procedure, was compared with the standard ISO 6579 as reference method, using soya meal as the test matrix. In the method comparison study, the sensitivities for both the alternative...

An alternative method for detection of Salmonella spp. in animal feed, based on the use of loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) in conjunction with a standard culturing procedure, was compared with the standard ISO 6579 as reference method, using soya meal as the test matrix. Validation was performed based on the principles set out in ISO/FDIS 16140-...

This study assessed whether propagation of four C. sakazakii strains in the presence of various non-preferred substrates (formate, fumarate, propionate, pyruvate and succinate) as sole carbon source can cause loss of RpoS functionality. Growth of C. sakazakii DPC 6525 in the presence of fumarate, propionate and succinate selected for loss of RpoS....

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that is widely dispersed in the environment; it is found in soil, water and plant material, and can grow at refrigeration temperature and at unfavourable conditions of pH (up to pH 4.7) and salt (up to 10%). It can persist in the harsh conditions of the food processing environment from which it can con...

In the EU, food is considered safe with regard to Listeria monocytogenes if the number of micro-organisms does not exceed 100 colony forming units (cfu)/g throughout its shelf-life. Therefore, it is important to determine if a food supports growth of L. monocytogenes. Guidelines for conducting challenge tests for growth assessment of L. monocytogen...

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that causes listeriosis, a relatively rare but life-threatening disease primarily affecting immunocompromised individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of L. monocytogenes in the seafood processing industry in the Republic of Ireland. The occurrence of L. monocytogenes was dete...

This study assessed the resistance to Ultraviolet light (UV) and Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) of ten verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) isolates and two laboratory non-pathogenic E. coli strains and monitored the effects that UV and CAP have on VTEC molecular composition by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. In addition,...

We would like to thank the authors and reviewers for their valuable contributions and constructive criticisms to this special issue. We sincerely hope that this collection of papers will prompt further research and contribute to novel or improved strategies of food safety management to be able to further reduce the incidence of foodborne microbial...

The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of L. ivanovii in foods and food processing environments in Ireland, to track persistence, and to characterize the disease causing potential of the isolated strains. A total of 2,006 samples (432 food samples and 1,574 environmental swabs) were collected between March 2013 and March 2014 from 48 fo...

As cheese is often frozen prior to microbiological analysis, the aim of this study was to determine the survival of foodborne pathogens to freezing in cheese. A semi-soft cheese was produced, in independent triplicate for each pathogen mix, using milk inoculated with two pathogen mixes: Listeria monocytogenes + Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia...

Putative routes of Listeria monocytogenes contamination, based on the workflow of the employees, were studied in a meat processing facility by investigating 226 samples collected from food contact surfaces, non–food contact surfaces, raw materials, and ready-to-eat meat products on four occasions over a 1-year period. In total, 19.7% of non–food co...

Microorganisms are found throughout nature, thriving in a vast range of environmental conditions. The majority of them are unculturable or difficult to culture by traditional methods. Metagenomics enables the study of all microorganisms, regardless of whether they can be cultured or not, through the analysis of genomic data obtained directly from a...

Bacteria are constantly faced to stress situations in their ecological niches, the food and the host gastrointestinal tract. The capacity to detect and respond to surrounding changes is crucial for bacterial pathogens to survive or grow in changing environments. To this purpose, cells have evolved various sophisticated networks designed to protect...

The aim of this trial was to describe physicochemical, microbiological and organoleptic characteristics of dry fermented sausages produced from high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) pre-processed trimmings. During ripening of the meat products pH, weight, water activity (aw), and several microbiological parameters were measured at zero, eight, fifteen da...

This Brief focuses on Listeria monocytogenes, from isolation methods and characterization (including whole genome sequencing), to manipulation and control. Listeriosis, a foodborne disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes is a major concern for public health authorities. In addition, addressing issues relating to L. monocytogenes is a major economi...

In order to study gene function, the ability to manipulate chromosomally encoded genes is important. Several strategies have been developed to achieve this, including gene deletion and gene mutation studies.

Monitoring the occurrence of L. monocytogenes in the food processing environment, especially small RTE food processing environments, is important and can have an impact on reducing such occurrence. There are many surveys of L. monocytogenes occurrence (Table 2. 2), and these are valuable in creating awareness of L. monocytogenes occurrence in parti...

Due to the ubiquitous nature of L. monocytogenes, contamination of food processing facilities is common. Although transient contamination may be somewhat unavoidable, L. monocytogenes strains can persist for long periods of time and cause more serious problems, as described earlier. They often occur in the processing environment with little competi...

L. monocytogenes is the causative agent of listeriosis, a food-borne disease of particular concern for risk groups including pregnant women, the young, the elderly and the immunocompromised, for all of whom it can be life-threatening.

As L. monocytogenes is ubiquitous in the environment it is not reasonable to aim for total elimination of the organism. Therefore, control of its occurrence is essential.

High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is a novel food processing technology that is considered as an attractive alternative to conventional heat treatments for the preservation of foods, due to its lethal effects on pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms, while causing minor effects on food quality and sensorial attributes. This study is aimed at investi...

Although rates of listeriosis are low in comparison to other foodborne pathogenic illness, listeriosis poses a significant risk to human health as the invasive form can have a mortality rate as high as 30%. Food processors, especially those who produce ready-to-eat (RTE) products, need to be vigilant against Listeria monocytogenes, the causative pa...

Cronobacter sakazakii is a foodborne pathogenic microorganism associated with sporadic cases of neonatal meningitis, necrotising enterocolitis, septicaemia, bloody diarrhoea and brain abscesses acquired through the consumption of contaminated powdered infant formula (PIF). This study aimed to investigate the growth of C. sakazakii DPC6529, a partic...

This study investigated the potential antimicrobial activity of ten Bacillus licheniformis strains isolated from retail infant milk formulae against a range of indicator (Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Listeria innocua) and clinically relevant (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Salmonella Typ...

This study characterizes the growth in hyperosmotic media and the resistance to desiccation of a collection of fifteen Cronobacter sakazakii strains. C. sakazakii strains showed similar abilities to grow/persist under osmotic stress conditions to strains from other related Enterobacteriaceae, i.e. Cronobacter muytjensii, Cronobacter malonaticus, En...

In the EU, food is considered safe with regard to Listeria monocytogenes if its numbers do not exceed 100 CFU/g throughout the shelf-life of the food. Therefore, it is important to determine if a food supports growth of L. monocytogenes. Challenge studies to determine the ability of a food to support growth of L. monocytogenes are essential as pred...

Template-based studies on antimicrobial peptide (AMP) derivatives obtained through manipulation of the amino acid sequence are helpful to identify properties or residues that are important for biological activity. The present study sheds light on the importance of specific amino acids of the milk-derived αs2-casein f(183–207) peptide to its antibac...

The survival capacity of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium acid adapted and non-acid adapted cells was monitored in pasteurized yogurt (pH 4.1) and orange juice (pH 3.6) during storage at different temperatures (4, 10, 25 and 37 ). Acid adapted and non-acid adapted cells were obtained by means of their growth for 36 h in Brain Heart Infusion...

Salmonella is one of the major foodborne pathogens worldwide. Pork products are among the main sources of Salmonella infection in humans, and several countries have established Salmonella surveillance and control programs. The role of slaughtering in carcass contamination has been indicated by studies focused on the slaughterhouse environment. In t...

Swine Dysentery (SD) is a severe mucohaemorhagic enteric disease of pigs caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, which has a large impact on pig production and causes important losses due to mortality and sub-optimal performance. Although B. hyodysenteriae has been traditionally considered a pathogen mainly transmitted by direct contact, through the...

Aims: This study addresses the antibacterial activity and mechanism of action of BIOLL(+®), a commercial extract obtained from citrus fruits. Methods and results: Strong activities with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 10 ppm (for some Brachyspira hyodysenteriae strains) to 80 ppm (for various Salmonella enterica and Escheric...

We demonstrate that growth of Cronobacter sakazakii in the presence of acetate as a carbon source promotes loss of RpoS, with a consequent reduction in stress tolerance. This suggests that C. sakazakii is capable of regulating cell fitness through mutation of the rpoS gene.

This study assessed the resistance of ten verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) isolates of commonly encountered serogroups/-types and two non-pathogenic E. coli strains to various food-related stresses (acid, alkaline, heat and high hydrostatic pressure treatments) and their biofilm formation ability. In addition, the global changes in the cel...

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy studies the effect of interaction between matter and radiated energy in the IR range, and this effect is evaluated by measurement of the absorption of various IR frequencies by a sample situated in the path of an IR beam. When a beam of IR radiation is passed through a sample, the radiation can be either absorbed or trans...

A number of research articles have assessed the structural modifications occurring in food-associated microorganisms in response to environmental stress conditions. Some of these articles have studied in depth the mechanisms of death induction resulting from vegetative cell exposure to different food processing technologies, antimicrobial compounds...

The advantages of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and the particular applications in food microbiology are now well recognized, and the number of research groups working with this method is steadily expanding. The capacity of FT-IR spectroscopy to taxonomically characterize bacteria is well established since a large number of bacter...

The most extensive application of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy in food microbiology has been the identification and characterization of bacteria, yeast, fungi, and algae. For identification, the infrared (IR) spectrum of an unknown species is compared with all spectra present in a previously constructed database and is matched to...

Fourier transform (FT-IR) spectroscopy can be utilized to detect differences in microbial community structures, including binary mixed cultures of two microorganisms, where it is used to distinguish and quantify microbial populations.

Significant phenotypic diversity was observed when we examined the abilities of a number of Cronobacter sakazakii natural isolates to cope with various sublethal stress conditions (acid, alkaline, osmotic, oxidative, or heat stress). Levels of catalase activity and use of acetate as a carbon source, phenotypes commonly used as indirect assays to pr...

One of the best studied Salmonella spp. adaptive responses is the Acid Tolerance Response (ATR), responsible for bacterial survival under extreme acid conditions, and well characterized for Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. This review covers the numerous studies carried out in the last two decades describing the influence of different envir...